Mother's Garden: Holiday red poinsettias only bloom in darkness

A darling girl named Jenna gave me a handmade Christmas card and the flower that has come to mean Christmas. A bright red poinsettia.

Ruth S. Foster

A darling girl named Jenna gave me a handmade Christmas card and the flower that has come to mean Christmas. A bright red poinsettia.

When we lived in Africa, poinsettia bushes were planted along the highways but they only blossomed on roads that had no street lights. These tropical plants only bloom if they have less than 12 hours of light a day. Even a sliver of light will delay bud set and a cold draft of wind will cause them to drop their green leaves.

Somehow this plant, a straggly native in the tropics, has been improved, inbred, subjected to all the miracles of modern science, and like a butterfly has emerged as the floriferous symbol of Christmas.

I visited greenhouses in California, where, in 1912, Paul Ecke began growing poinsettias as cut flowers for folks in Los Angeles. By 1920, he had developed them into houseplants. For the next 40 years, he improved, patented and shipped them (as bare root cuttings) to greenhouses all over the world, which finished growing them into house plants. At one point, he supplied 75 percent of the world's cuttings.

Today acres of Ecke greenhouses grow impatiens, petunias, Cape daisies and of course, poinsettias. To keep insecticide use to a minimum, insects are controlled by pressurized doors which, when opened, blow air out, the rational being that stray bugs can't fly against such a wind.

The third generation Paul Ecke shared a few tips with me.
To care for poinsettias

Water when the surface is dry to the touch, but hopefully before the leaves droop like a dog's tail. They abhor wet feet, so don't keep them soaked.

After a while the green leaves fall off, usually due to too much water, not enough water, cold drafts or poor light. However the colored bracts can hang on for many months. To hide the bare stems, set pots of foliage on top of the soil in the flowerpot.

To grow as a nice green house plant

When you are sick to death of looking at the plant (and I guarantee you eventually will be) cut it back to 6 inches and fertilize each month. Bright green shoots will grow, which may be pinched back to encourage side shoots. Plants can go outdoors in summer.

To get colored bracts to reappear

This requires three months of total darkness for 14 hours a day plus 10 hours of bright light. I've tried it ... unsuccessfully. It's not for the fainthearted.

The original flowers were just red, but now they are bred in pink, cream. white, speckled and colors Mother Nature never imagined. The true flower is the tiny yellow spot in the center. The petals are actually colored leaves called bracts. Improved varieties hold their leaves longer, are not straggly and are easier to keep alive. (So they say.) It's all in the genes.

Some large corporations, particularly in Europe have made minute variations and sold them as their own patented stock taking advantage of an old "copy breeding" rule which made it easy to steal other people's genetic stock. Today you can't tell where they're bred or where they're grown. California, Canada or a vast outdoor farm in South America.

Ruth S. Foster is a landscape consultant and arborist. More gardening information can be found on her Web site: www.mothersgarden.net.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.

Communities

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The McDonough County Voice ~ 26 W. Side Square, Macomb, IL 61455 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service